I was thrilled to witness a rare phenomenon happening in the holy city of Varanasi on the Mahashivaratri night. Burkha clad Muslim women were singing bhajans with their brothers and sisters owing allegiance to Lord Shiva. I had tears of joy welling up in my eyes. I still could recall my childhood in our village where people of all religions, Christians and Muslims included, joined us in celebrating, not only the religious festivals but, also, the village rituals like the buffalo race, Bhoota kola, etc. - common to this part of coastal Karnataka. We, on our part, used to share in their joy and also partake in their wonderful food on Easter, Christmas, Bakrid and Moharam days. I grew up not knowing that we have any difference whatsoever. The environment now makes me feel nauseated to say the least, but those Mahashivaratri night TV clippings were a great relief. How I wish all of us could take it forward from there.



Coincidentally, the occasion was the right one. Though the rituals were meant to pray to the all-powerful Shiva that night, the connotation was to try and open one’s third eye, representing the third eye of Lord Shiva. The third eye is the symbolic representation of one’s ability to see the reality. The two eyes, which most of us have, with or without artificial corrections using lenses, could only show us the world of delusion. Very rarely a few of us have evolved to have our third eye function to have an insight into another’s sorrow to be able to empathize with him/her. One is supposed to fast that night, sit-up and pray to Lord Shiva to grant us the power of the symbolic third eye (the insight) to be able to see the reality in this world. “Purusha Shreshta Ishwaraha.” One could elevate oneself to that level by spiritual efforts.



The reality is that mankind is but one large family and God is only the all pervading universal compassion that gives succor to every living thing on this planet. We might create our own individual Gods and there is no harm in that. We always create God in our own image. But none of our Gods would want us to be at each other's throats using HIS name. God and conventional religions should strive to bring man and man together and never try to divide man from man. All right thinking people would support this contention that religion is meant to be social shock absorber.



Religion, initially created to bring tranquility and contentment to the human mind has, unfortunately, over the years, become a powerful tool to have control over the gullible people. When one tries to understand one’s religion thoroughly, he/ she would automatically love another human being outside his own narrow religious beliefs. With this in view, one should strive to use ritualistic religion to bring people together. Every Indian, nay every one in this world, has an obligation to see that this world becomes a better place to live in - more tranquil, more passionate, more productive and less destructive in the end. Intolerance of any kind is the beginning of terrorism and crime. Tolerance needs more giving than getting.



At a more mundane level this philosophy boils down to using all our religious festivals to bring about inter-religious harmony. Whereas there were bhajans in the temples on the Mahashivaratri day joined by the Muslim women, there could be prayers in Churches during Christmas and large gathering of people in the Mosques on Muslim festival days. On each of those occasions there must be more people from the other religions in these group prayers. Scientific studies have shown that intercessory prayers have a very powerful positive effect on the life and health of human beings. If each one of us in the community prays for the welfare of the people of other religious beliefs, we would certainly have a society, which would be more creative and caring but less destructive.



Mankind has been happy in the sustenance economies of the distant past where there was no dependence of any kind coupled with egalitarian sharing and caring for others. Fear of God, greed for money, and running after the mirage of power has slowly turned man into a cruel animal. Love of God would undo this cycle for certain. Today man does not even bat an eyelid to destroy another of his species in the name of religion, caste, creed and what have you.



We must try to garner the strengths of good people in society to do most good to most people most of the time. In every village, town and city we could organise groups of motivated citizens from all religions to implement the idea that they should live together and let live. One of the cementing factors could be this type of interfaith prayer meetings mentioned earlier in the article. On the days of the important festivals in temples, people from other religions could be invited to sing bhajans and take part in the ceremonies. Similarly during Christmas, Easter time other religions segments should be there in the churches for prayers and the mass. Islamic festivities should be co-sponsored by other religious adherents and all should visit Mosques with our Muslim brothers in their neighbourhood.



Recently, when I was in Mumbai, I enjoyed the bhajans of a group of people who came from very far off coastal Karnataka. They sang and danced so well that it was a moving spectacle to watch. How I wish they had invited people of all faiths to share in their joys that day. Majority of people in this world is good but is silent. It is a vocal minority, which creates problems for others. By and large, people are so nice to one another if left to themselves. When politicians and others manipulate them with ulterior motives society gets disturbed. It is always better to debate on contentious issues like this rather than to accept or reject an idea without any debate. Let these thoughts provoke an active debate all over the country. I am sure the powers-that-be- would sit up and take note of the happenings. They could try to replicate the same in other parts of the country.



Intellectual intolerance is the worst kind of terrorism. Poverty and illiteracy will breed terrorists, in addition. Well meaning citizens should take up the cause of the less fortunate in society to try and assist them to come out of the bottomless pit of poverty. It cannot be done in bits and pieces. This must be a large movement on a large nationwide scale. Misguided youth, with lots of energy and wrong directions from the vested interests, initially try to be destructive for the heck of it. Eventually, it becomes a part of their life style. At that stage punishment need not (usually does not) have long term good effects on society. Prevention is always better.



Poverty has one other flip side to it. The poor pay for their poverty with their lives. Poverty is also the mother of all human illnesses. How do we expect these people to come to the main stream of society, unless those of us who are above the poverty line come out with a helping hand? In this process we are not doing any favour to the poor people. We are only doing our duty to society. We are helping Gods of all religions to help those in distress.



I hope this will initiate a debate wherein right thinking people join in larger numbers to try and implement the suggestions given here, if need be, with modifications and innovations in the housekeeping details. The present set up can not be allowed to go on like this and eventually lead to anarchy. Please think about it with all seriousness. Man has existed here for nearly nine hundred thousand years in fifty thousand generations. The present cruel world might have been there for a maximum of one hundred years. If not corrected soon enough, greedy man, with his proclivity for personal comfort and his greed, would rob the world and the less fortunate people of the entire God given resources. Let us wake up to stop this rot before it takes deeper roots.